| Bathinda | |
| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | 30°13′48″N 74°57′0″E / 30.23°N 74.95°ECoordinates: 30°13′48″N 74°57′0″E / 30.23°N 74.95°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Punjab |
| District(s) | Bathinda |
| Population | 217,389 (2001[//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bathinda&action=edit [update]]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
Bathinda or Bhatinda (Punjabi: ਬਠਿੰਡਾ), named after the Bhati Rajput kings, is one of the oldest cities in Punjab, India and the current administrative headquarters of Bathinda District. It is situated in north-western India in the Malwa (Punjab) Region, 225 km west of the capital city of Chandigarh. Bathinda is nicknamed the city of Lakes and was once known as Tabar-e-Hind(or Tabarhindh),[1] meaning the Gateway to India. The first empress of India, Razia Sultan was imprisoned in the Qila Mubarak fort in Bathinda.
Bathinda is home to two modern thermal power plants, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant in the city and the other one, Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabbat.[2] It is also home to a fertilizer plant,[3] a large oil refinery, a Zoo,[2] and the historic Qila Mubarak fort.[4] Bathinda is one of the biggest food grain and cotton markets in northern India, and the area around Bathinda has become a large grape growing area. It is one of the leading cities in Punjab for education.[5]
Contents |
| Year | Events |
|---|---|
| 40,000 BC | People began living in man-made shelter huts in northern Punjab and central Asia (Bactria) |
| 7000 BC | There is evidence of people growing barley in this area and raising sheep and goats. People began living in mud-brick dwellings in villages, some of which are still in existence. |
| 5500 BC | Inhabitants learned to make pottery from burnt clay, a technique that is scarce but still alive today. |
| 3000 BC | Farming villages began appearing in the Bathinda area, most of which still exist today. |
| 2600 BC | Farmers in the area made use of the plough; exactly as it is still used in some Bathinda areas today. |
| 1500 BC | Cities of the area were abandoned, but the rural villages thrived and survived. Indo-Aryans arrived in the area. |
| 800 BC | Indo-Aryans spread in the area and began clear-cutting forests. |
| 600 BC | Area inhabitants began use of elephants in warfare. |
| 125 BC | A Scythian tribe known as Sakas invaded Punjab from Balochistan and Sindh. |
| 15 AD | The Kushan Kingdom was restored in the area. |
The Etymology of "Bathinda" is uncertain. Although some possibilities exist. According to Khalifa Muhammad Hassan, author of History of Patiala, the ancient name of the city was Bikramgarh. According to Ibn Battuta it was known as Batrind. It is generally believed that Bathinda was built by Bhati Rajput kings, who were the rulers of Punjab in 6th century AD. They called the city Whatinda or Bitunda after their surname which finally become known as Bhatinda. Bhatinda was changed to Bathinda to conform to the phonetical expression as locally pronounced.[1] According to Henry George Raverty, Bathinda was known as Tabarhindh (Labb-ut-Twarikh). The earliest mention of Tabarhindh occurs in the "Jami-Ul-Hakayat" written about 607 Hijri or 1211 AD.
The city was under the rule of Hindu shahi king Jayapala in 965 AD. Emperor Jayapala was challenged by the armies of Sultan Sabuktigin and later by his son Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. In 1004, Mahmud of Ghazni besieged the local fort, which was located on the route from the northwest into the rich Ganges valley. In 1189, Muhammad Ghori attacked and occupied the fort of Bathinda. Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the ruler of this region, managed to recover possession of the fort thirteen months later in 1191 after the first battle of Tarain.
After the death of Muhammad Ghori, Delhi Sultanate was established. The fourth Emperor - Iltutmish, on his death-bed nominated his daughter Raziya as his heiress. Raziya became the next and the first Empress of India and was known as Razia Sultan. Her childhood friend named Malik Altunia, the governor of Bathinda, joined a rebellion by other provincial governors who refused to accept Razia's authority. She was imprisoned at the Bathinda fort in April, 1240. She was released in August and later died in October 1240.
The city later came under the control of The Sidhu-Brars, who were thrown out of Bathinda during Lodhi's rule, but were restored to the area by Babur. A few years later, Roop Chand, a Sikh, came into the scene of Punjab history. Phul, the second son of Roop Chand, started the practice of langar(community kitchen) for the people in the Lakhi jungle area. The city of Bhatinda was also visited by the tenth sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh. He halted at the mausoleum of Haji Rattan, a celebrated Muslim saint, which was at a distance of two kilometers outside the city. He also visited and surveyed the strategic importance of the Bathinda Fort.
In circa 1754, the town was conquered by Maharaja Ala Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala and since then it followed the history of erstwhile princely state of Patiala. With the dawn of indendence and merger of Patiala and East Punjab States into a division called PEPSU, bathinda become a full fledged district with headquarters at Bathinda city.[1]
Bathinda is the ninth largest district in Punjab with a population of 1,183,295[2]. Bathinda has a ratio of 865 females per 1000 males and an overall population density of 390 people per square kilometer. The district also has a literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Important Clans of Bathinda District are Sidhu,Brar,Bhaika,Dhillon,Maan,Seera,Toor,Gill,Virk,Gondara,Aulakh,Bhullar,Mahal,Goyal,Garg,mittal,Jindal,Bansal,Singla,Kansal,Aggarwal,Gupta.
Bathinda is located in the north-western region of India and is a part of the Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains. The exact cartographic co-ordinates of Bathinda are .[6] It has an average elevation of 201 metres (660 ft).
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Bathinda's climate correspond to semi arid with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Average annual rainfall is in a range of 20 – 40 mm.[7] Summer temperaures of 48 °C (118.4 °F) and winter temperatures of 0 °C (32 °F) are not unknown in Bathinda. The weather is generally dry, but is very humid from mid-May to the end of August. Rainfall is primarily from the south-west due to monsoon weather, and is concentrated in the period July to mid-September.
The region is very dusty and dust-laden winds often interrupt the normal life during the hot summer evenings. The vegetation is scanty and due to improper planning and lopsided growth traffic jams often take the most of your evening time. The surrounding districts are of Muktsar, Faridkot, Mansa, Moga and Sangrur in Punjab and Sirsa in Haryana. The boundary of the state of Rajasthan is also under an hour's drive from Bathinda.
Bathinda is surrounded by 12 small and medium towns, making the city a hub of most industrial activities in the region.
Bathinda cantonment is also said to be the largest in Asia. Bathinda has one of the biggest food-grain and cotton markets in India. The Multinational Corporation Pepsi processes horticultural products grown in Bathinda.
Major industries in Bathinda include, National Fertilizers Plant, two power plants: Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant and Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant(Lehra Mohabbat), Petrochemical Plants, Yarn & Textiles Plants, Citrus Fruit Belts and Sugar Mills. HMEL is building a Grassroots oil refinery [8] in Bathinda.
As part of a massive development programme to make Bathinda a model city of Punjab, the government has proposed to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) for textile, a flying school, an international cricket stadium and academy, a domestic airport and an air-conditioned bus stand within three years. Besides, private players are also building new Shopping malls and a five star hotel in the city.
Bathinda is also an Educational Hub of this region, especially for competitive exams preparations, which in turn is a source of income for the local residents.
Tourism sector in the region has also grown manifold, as Bathinda has some of the oldest monuments, some of them even dating back to 3,000 B.C. to the Harappan period.
Bathinda is one of the largest railway junctions in India. Six routes extend from it. Rewari is the only other railway junction in India with six routes extending from it. Mathura junction, however, has seven lines extending from it and is the largest junction on the Indian Railway network.
There has been increasing incidence of various types of cancer in and around Bathinda. It is attributed to the presence of polluting industries and the indiscriminate use of modern pesticides and other toxic materials in farming. A 2007 epidemiological study found that the surface waters of Bathinda are contaminated with arsenic, cadmium, chromium, selenium and mercury primarily due to the discharge of untreated waste water from surrounding industries. Unscientific farming practices, that emerged after the introduction of Green Revolution, are also alleged to be a reason for growing incidence of not just cancer but also, high rates of spontaneous abortions, reproductive aliments, genetic deformities, anaemia, diarrhoea, vomiting, fluorosis and a host of skin ailments including rashes and boils. Many young couples are also reported to be migrating out to save their children from adverse affects.[9]
One of the few new central universities of India Central University of Punjab is located in Bathinda. Government Rajindra College is located in the heart of the city founded by the Maharaja of patiala. The city also has a government engineering college named, Giani Zail Singh College Of Engineering & Technology.government polytechnic college, Hi-Tech polytechnic college also impart technical education in bathinda.M.S.D.SR.SEC. PUBLIC SCHOOL. which is famous for providing best education to the children. S.S.D. Senior Secondary School (Boys) is one of the oldest educational institutes and many English medium schools have also come up in the city during the last 30 years. DAV Public School and Delhi Public School, Bathinda have opened their branches in the city. Many missionary schools are also being run in the city like, St. Xavier's Sr. Sec. School, St. Joseph Sr. Sec. School, St. Paul school, Deepika Public School etc.
Bathinda is often considered to be an educational hub of this region. Many students from the neighboring towns who intend to pursue medical or engineering come here to prepare for their entrance exams. There are many known private institutes in the city preparing students for various engineering and medical entrance examinations. There is one government funded and nearly ten private colleges in the city.
Bathinda has a rich religious and cultural heritage. There are a number places worth visiting in and around the city. Many of them are deeply associated with various religious beliefs.
1. Qila Mubarak
This is an oldest and highest small brick monument. It also contains two gurudwaras as the tenth sikh guru Gobind Singh visited the place.
2. Bahia Fort
This was built in 1930 in front of the main Fort by S. Balwant Singh Sidhu belong to a group of 22 villages, so called Bahia Sahib. It was as official residence of armed forces of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala State . Now it has been converted into a Four Star Hotel.
3. Lakhi Jungle
This is situated 15 km away from Bathinda and on the way to Mukatsar. A forest having old Gurudwara enjoyed the touches of Shri Guru Nanak Dev who recited one lakh holy Paths of Shri Japuji Sahib.Therefore it was called Lakhi Jungle. Tenth Sikh Guru , Guru Gobind Singh also visited this place.
4. Rose Garden
This garden boasts of large number of varieties of Roses. It is very near the city and is visited by large number of people on weekends. The 10-acre (40,000 m2) garden is located close to Thermal Plant. It has a vast variety of rose plants and is a good picnic spot.
5. Zoological garden
It is a plant nursery of the forest department located approximately 10 km away from the Cantonment and is a popular picnic spot. This place is a small zoo in the midst of a small forest.
6. Chetak Park
A beautiful garden built in Bathinda Cantonment is popular among children's and others. It has a lake and boating facility.
7. Mazaar of Peer Haji Rattan
It is one of the most revered place of worship in the city.
8. One unique thing in bathinda is a place Haji Rattan. where the mosque and the sikh guruadwara share is the same wall and the temple is also very close to it. This is ignored but if you look it critically it is one of the unique thing in india. it shows how multicultural bathinda people are.
9. Mittal Mall Bathinda
10. City Centre, Bathinda
11. Dhobi Bazaar
It is the shopping hub of Bhatinda and houses several brands.
12.Boating in Thermal Lake Boating in the Thermal Lake was started from October 2011 for the fun and enjoyment of the people in Bathinda. The boats have been modelled on 'Kashmir-style shikaras' [10].
Harbhajan Mann
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